The instant invention relates to apparatus for assisting persons who are at least partially handicapped or disabled to enter into and exit from vehicles, and more particularly to a collapsible wheelchair and to a lift assembly which is adapted to be permanently installed in a vehicle, such as an automobile, for assisting a handicapped person to enter into and exit from the vehicle while seated in the wheelchair.
In recent years there has been an increased recognition of the special needs of persons suffering from various disabling or partially disabling handicaps. Further, as a result of this increased awareness, various types of apparatus have been developed for assisting handicapped persons to enter into and exit from vehicles. In this regard, it has been found that the types of apparatus which are operable in combination with conventional passenger automobiles are preferable to other types of apparatus, since they generally enable disabled persons to be installed in vehicles so that they are positioned in normal riding positions therein. Apparatus of this general type are disclosed in the U.S. Patents to SOUTHWARD et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,368; SEGUELA et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,387; ANTONELLIS, U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,791; BRIGMAN et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,924; WAITE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,653 and WAITE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,917. However, the apparatus disclosed in these references have generally required relatively complex wheelchair assemblies, and therefore they have been less than entirely practical for day-to-day use, and they have also not been adapted for simple and easy operation. Other wheelchairs and similar apparatus which, in addition to the above references, represent the closest prior art to the subject invention of which the applicant is aware are disclosed in the U.S. patents to SOUTHWARD et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,515,294; GREER, U.S. Pat. No. 3,618,968; WILLIAMS, U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,150; SCHIOWITZ, U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,847; MASHUDA, U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,786; ROTHSCHILD, U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,088; DAKE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,641; WILLIAMS, U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,350; VONSBAECK et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,716; POBOCIK et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,527; GALL et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,732; WEIGT, U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,013; and LOVELL et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,343. However, these references also fail to provide either a simple collapsible wheelchair or an effective and simple lifting assembly which is operable in combination with a collapsible wheelchair. In any event, none of the above references anticipate the novel structural features and concepts of the wheelchair and/or the lift assembly of the subject invention; and hence, all of the above references are believed to be of only general interest with respect thereto, as will hereinafter be made more apparent.
The instant invention provides a novel collapsible wheelchair which is highly effective and simple to operate and an effective lifting mechanism which is operable in combination with the wheel chair for assisting handicapped persons to enter into and exit from vehicles. More specifically, the collapsible wheelchair of the subject invention comprises a chair member having a seat portion and a back portion, a pair of front wheels, means mounting the front wheels on the chair member so that they are normally operable for movably supporting the front portion of the chair member on a supporting surface. The wheelchair further comprises a pair of rear wheels, and means mounting the rear wheels on the chair member so that they are normally operable for movably supporting the rear portion of the chair member on a supporting surface but so that they are movable to collapsed positions to enable the wheelchair to be installed in a vehicle. More specifically, the rear wheels are preferably mounted so that one of the rear wheels is movable to a collapsed position wherein it is positioned beneath the seat portion of the chair member and in substantially parallel relation with the seat portion and so that the other rear wheel is movable to a collapsed position wherein it is positioned behind the back portion of the chair member and in substantially parallel relation with the back portion. The means mounting the front wheels on the chair member is preferably operable for mounting the front wheels so that they are normally positioned beneath the front portion of the seat portion but so that they are movable to elevated or raised positions, wherein they are pivoted upwardly and forwardly relative to the seat portion and positioned in forwardly spaced relation to the chair member. The wheelchair preferably further comprises foot support means for supporting the feet of an occupant of the seat portion and means mounting the foot support means on the chair member so that the foot support means is movable between a first position wherein it is operative for supporting the feet of the occupant with the occupant's legs extending substantially downwardly from the seat portion and a raised second position wherein the foot support means is operative for supporting the feet of the occupant with the occupant's legs extending forwardly from the seat portion. In addition, the wheelchair preferably further comprises manually operable crank means for mechanically moving the front wheels between the operative positions thereof and the raised positions thereof, and for moving the foot support means between the first and second positions thereof when the front wheels are moved between the operative and raised positions thereof.
The lift assembly of the subject invention which is operable in combination with the above-described wheelchair comprises a column member which is adapted to be mounted in an automobile in a substantially vertical disposition substantially along the longitudinal center line of the vehicle so that it is inboard of a chair station in the vehicle, an elongated main pivot arm attached to the column member and pivotable in a substantially horizontal plane about the axis of the column member, an outer pivot arm attached to the main pivot arm adjacent the outer end thereof and pivotable in a substantially horizontal plane with respect to the main pivot arm, and coupling means for coupling the outer end of the outer pivot arm to a wheelchair so that the wheelchair is pivotable in a substantially horizontal plane with respect to the outer pivot arm. The main and outer pivot arms are preferably dimensioned so that the combined length thereof is sufficient to extend through an open door of a vehicle in which the lift assembly is mounted in order to position the coupling means on the exterior of the vehicle, and the lift assembly further comprises lift means which is operable for vertically repositioning the main pivot arm on the column member to thereby vertically reposition the wheelchair and an occupant thereof with respect to the vehicle. Accordingly, the lift assembly is operable in combination with a wheelchair by first coupling the lift assembly to the wheelchair, then collapsing the wheelchair and vertically repositioning the wheelchair to align it with the adjacent open door of the vehicle and then swinging or pivoting the wheelchair into the vehicle. The lift assembly is preferably utilized in combination with an automobile having bucket-type seats, one of which is removed to provide a chair station for accommodating the wheelchair; and the lift assembly preferably further includes means for releasably anchoring the wheelchair in an automobile. Further, the coupling means preferably includes a first portion which is permanently mounted on one side of the chair member adjacent the front end thereof, and a second portion which is permanently mounted on the outer end of the outer arm and which is interengageable with the first portion of the coupling means for pivotably coupling the wheelchair to the outer arm.
It is seen therefore that both the wheelchair of the subject invention and the lift assembly of the subject invention have significant advantages over the heretofore available prior art devices. Specifically, the wheelchair is collapsible in a unique and simple manner to enable it to be easily and effectively moved between the exterior and the interior of a vehicle. In this regard, the wheels of the wheelchair of the subject invention are readily and easily repositionable in collapsed positions wherein the wheelchair has a reduced overall dimension to enable it to be effectively accommodated in the interior of a vehicle, such as a standard midsized automobile. In addition, because the wheelchair is positionable in a collapsed disposition without removing the wheels or other components thereof, it is not necessary for removed wheels or other parts of the wheelchair to be stored in the trunk or another storage area when the wheelchair is transported in the vehicle. Further, because of the manner in which the wheelchair is collapsible, the wheelchair can be constructed with conventional 24 inch rear wheels so that it can be effectively propelled by an occupant in a conventional manner, and it does not require an electrical propulsion system, etc. In addition, the lift assembly of the subject invention is operable for moving a wheelchair and an occupant thereof into a chair station a vehicle in a simple and efficient manner and for positioning the wheelchair so that the occupant thereof is located in a normal seating position in the vehicle. The lift assembly is also operable for moving other types of specially adapted seats or chair members, including specially adapted bucket-type automobile seats, into and out of the vehicle. Still further, because of the manner in which the lift assembly is operable for both lifting and pivoting a wheelchair and an occupant thereof, it is possible to move the wheelchair and the occupant into a vehicle with a minimum of stress to the occupant by first directing the outwardly extending feet of the occupant into the vehicle and then swinging the main portion of the chair into the vehicle. Even further, the lift assembly is adapted to be coupled to a wheelchair proximal the front portion of the adjacent side thereof so that the coupling components are clearly visible to an occupant of the wheelchair and so that in many cases the occupant can perform the entire coupling operation without assistance. As a result, in many cases, an occupant of the wheelchair can reposition himself or herself and the wheelchair in a vehicle without assistance. Further, when the lift assembly and a vehicle in which it is mounted are adapted for installing the wheelchair in place of the drivers seat of the vehicle, in many cases it is possible for an occupant of the wheelchair to operate the wheelchair, the lift assembly and the vehicle without assistance.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide an effective collapsible wheelchair.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide an effective and efficient wheelchair lift assembly which is operable in combination with an automobile.
A still further object of the instant invention is to provide a collapsible wheelchair including a chair member and a pair of enlarged rear wheels wherein one of the rear wheels of the wheelchair is repositionable beneath the seat portion of the chair member and the other rear wheel is repositionable behind the back portion of the chair member.
An even further object of the instant invention is to provide a wheelchair lift assembly comprising a vertical column member, a pivot arm on the column member and a lift mechanism for vertically repositioning the arm with respect to the column member, wherein the column member is adapted to be mounted in a substantially vertical disposition substantially along the longitudinal center line of the vehicle.
Still another object of the instant invention is to provide a collapsible wheelchair and a lift assembly which can in many cases be operated without assistance by an occupant of the wheelchair for repositioning the wheelchair and the occupant in a vehicle.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.